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Coca-Cola to take on Red Bull in Formula One with Lotus

Coca-Cola is getting on board with the Lotus F1 Team in 2013. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Courted by Formula One teams for many years, Coca-Cola has announced that it will sponsor Lotus through its burn energy drink brand in 2013.

The deal means that Coke will take on Red Bull as the battle for the energy drink market hots up. The funding comes at a vital time for Lotus, a team that has been looking for some new investment recently.

Emmanuel Seuge, the group director of Worldwide Sports & Entertainment Marketing for the Coca-Cola Company, said: “The creativity of teams and the passion for speed and energy that fuel the sport of Formula One, make a partnership with this iconic sporting property a compelling proposition for the Burn brand.

“Lotus F1 Team, as the number one emerging challenger in the sport, has demonstrated exceptional creativity in their approach to Formula 1 racing and their collaborations with partners--an approach that mirrors the philosophy of burn. We will bring that same creativity through burn, incorporating art and music in a way that will break the conventions of traditional Formula One sponsorship marketing.”

Lotus F1 Team principal Eric Boullier added: “We are excited to partner with burn to build a new and innovative model for sponsorships that will combine experiences, content creation and social media, an area in which our team has been at the cutting edge in Formula One for the past 18 months, recording the highest growth rate amongst fans this year.”

Coca-Cola burn is currently only available in Europe. There is another energy drink called Burn manufactured by a different company available in the United States.